TENNIS in DEPTH.

Juan Martin Del Potro battled back after a rain delay to dump out top seed Robin Soderling and book a semi-final berth at the Estoril Open in Portugal today. The former US Open champion, on the comeback trail after missing most of the 2010 season due to injury, took the first set 6-4 but trailed 1-4 in the second when the match was disrupted. Del Potro returned after the delay to reel off six of the next seven games and wrap up a 6-4 7-5 success in just under two hours. Del Potro will meet Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas in the semi-finals after Cuevas produced a strong performance to defeat Thomasz Bellucci of Brazil 6-4 6-2 in their 79-minute match.

South Africa’s Kevin Anderson won a first set tie-break 7-6 (7-2) over Fernando Verdasco when their match was suspended due to darkness. Gilles Simon of France led Canada’s Milos Raonic 6-5.

In the women’s event, Germany’s Kristina Barrois reached the second WTA Tour final of her career with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 win over Johanna Larsson of Sweden. In the final Barrois will meet Spanish clay-court expert Anabel Medina Garrigues, who needed just 89 minutes to defeat Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-1 6-3.

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